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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26119000">Could've Been a Killer</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucidscreamer/pseuds/lucidscreamer'>lucidscreamer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>100 Yu-Gi-Oh Prompts [33]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU-gust 2020, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Attraction, BAMF Yami Yuugi | Atem, First Meetings, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Minor Violence, POV Alternating, POV Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler, POV Mutou Yuugi, Some Humor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:55:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,285</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26119000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucidscreamer/pseuds/lucidscreamer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Of course, Yugi bolted <em>toward</em> the source of the scream because Yugi had a big, kind heart and all the self-preservation instincts of a depressed lemming.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler &amp; Mutou Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi &amp; Yami Yuugi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>100 Yu-Gi-Oh Prompts [33]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1266368</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>AUgust 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Could've Been a Killer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>prompts:<br/>89. Surprise (100 YGO Themes)<br/>26. monster hunters au (AU-gust 2020)</p><p>Notes: This was a failed attempt at a scene for "The Walking Shadows" that I rewrote for the AU-gust prompt.</p><p>The title is from "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" by David Bowie.</p><p> Edited to fix some typos.</p><p>Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is the creation of Kazuki Takahashi. No ownership of the canon characters, settings, or events is claimed and none should be implied.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Joey, are you sure we're heading in the right direction?" Yugi Mutou asked, stopping on the path to take another dubious look around. "I don't recognize anything on this path and, from the look of things, it's going to start raining soon. I'd really like to get back to the hotel before that happens..." </p><p>Joey Wheeler squinted at their well-maintained surroundings. They were at a luxury resort (part of the prize from Yugi's last Duel Monsters tournament)and in completely unfamiliar territory. This part of the resort looked neat but less upmarket than the areas directly around their hotel and seemed to consist mostly of utilitarian buildings that looked as if they housed supplies or maintenance equipment. Concrete paths wove between the structures and there were green spaces planted with shrubs, flowers, and ornamental grasses. Been nice if there'd also been a map or two, or even a street sign, but that didn't seem to have figured into the landscaper's designs.</p><p>Joey shot a glare down at his phone. "It's no good, Yug'. My GPS thinks we're in Albuquerque or somethin'." </p><p>He gave it a fierce shake which did nothing to knock any useful information loose on the screen. The phone apparently objected to this treatment since it flickered oddly before going dark. Nothing he did afterward could coax it back to life. "Oops..."</p><p>"So we're lost and we can't call for help since you just killed your phone and I forgot mine back in the hotel room." Yugi slumped, resembling nothing so much as sad-eyed puppy denied a treat. Then he rallied. "Well, it can't be that bad. Right? After all, we're here on a tour package. Surely someone will come looking for us if we don't turn up for group events."</p><p>"Eh." Joey shrugged and stuck the useless phone back in his pocket. "It's a small island. We'll eventually wind up back where we started."</p><p>Before Yugi could come up with a rebuttal (and he was going to, Joey could see it in his eyes), the relative quiet was shattered by a blood-curdling howl from somewhere beyond the thickly planted bushes that separated the business end of the resort from the more guest-friendly areas. They stared at one another for a moment before Yugi bolted.</p><p>Of course, he bolted <em>toward</em> the source of the scream because Yugi had a big, kind heart and all the self-preservation instincts of a depressed lemming.</p><p>"Come on, Joey!" Yugi was already half-way to the curve in the path up ahead and would be out of sight in another second. "Somebody needs help!"</p><p>"Yugi, <em>wait</em>!" Joey sprinted after him. </p><p>He caught up quickly (Yugi was surprisingly agile, but he was also 5'0" and most of that was spiked-up hair), Joey's long legs eating up the distance between them. He stretched out his hand, meaning to grab Yugi's shoulder and haul him back before the brave little idiot ran head-first into danger.</p><p>Naturally, that was when the monster lurched out of the darkness and went straight for Yugi's throat.</p><p>Joey didn't even have time to yelp. The thing had fangs and claws and a washed-out face like something outta <em>Night of the Living Dead</em>. Those claws were reaching for Yugi just like Joey's fingers were, but if they beat Joey to the grab, Yugi definitely wasn't gonna make it--</p><p>Fortunately for Joey's imminent heart attack, something man-shaped and moving faster than the monster leaped out of the shadows in time to snatch the creature out of the air mid-lunge. The newcomer slammed Creature Feature into the ground with enough force to rattle its fangs. It slashed at him with bloody claws, but he pinned it to the concrete path and smashed his elbow into its face, stunning the thing long enough for him to shift his grip to its ugly head. A quick twist broke its neck easy as someone snapping a green stick. Then he slammed its lolling head into the concrete, cracking its skull wide open like a rotten watermelon. Gray matter splattered onto the path -- and Joey's shoes. Joey's stomach lurched at the sight, and at the nauseating stink rising up from the inhuman corpse.</p><p>When their rescuer looked up at them, his white teeth still bared in a feral-looking snarl, Joey had to fight the urge to to haul Yugi over his shoulder and run like hell. Only the fact that Yugi was -- <em>of course</em> -- once again moving <em>toward</em> the monster killer kept Joey from listening to his saner instincts</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Yugi didn't know what was happening. One minute he and Joey had gotten separated from their tour group and were trying to find the way back to their hotel, the next Yugi was being attacked by something out of a horror movie. And then he was being saved by a strange (if extremely attractive) man... and no one seemed at all worried about the scream that had lured Yugi into the monster's path in the first place.</p><p>"Shouldn't we call someone?" he fretted, wringing his hands as he stared at the darkness beyond the streetlights. It seemed a lot more threatening than it had only minutes before.</p><p>Joey scoffed. "<em>Who</em>? Ghostbusters? I'm not sure who else would know how to handle... whatever that was with the fangs and the--" He made a clawing motion with one hand. "Besides, your new buddy seems to have things under control."</p><p>They both turned to look at the man who had saved them from the... creature. The stranger was lean and sharp-edged, dressed in black denim and leather. The only spot of color was his hair which resembled Yugi's own: black and red, with gelled blond bangs. An ornate gold ankh gleamed on a chain around his neck.</p><p>As Yugi watched, the stranger bent over the corpse and <em>shoved his hand</em> into the thing's chest as if it were made of wet tissue paper. With equal ease, he ripped out the heart and crushed it to pulp. Black sludge oozed between his long fingers and plopped onto the path.  Incongruously, Yugi's gaze was drawn the the cuffs of the man's leather jacket where two more of the golden ankhs stood out brightly against the stark black.</p><p>"<em>Erk</em>," said Joey, drawing Yugi's attention away from their rescuer's attire. "Dude! Was that really necessary?!"</p><p>"Yes." Their rescuer's voice was deep and grim, but he smirked knowingly as he stood from his crouch. "Unless you'd prefer it to get back up and try again?"</p><p>"No, thanks. I'm good."</p><p>Gaze flickering from the man to the monster at his feet, Yugi edged closer to the stranger. "What... what was it?"</p><p>The man cocked his head, considering, and added, "I believe you could call it a zombie, though there's an aspect of vampire to it, as well."</p><p>"Oh, man." Joey moaned from behind Yugi. "You mean that thing was gonna <em>eat</em> us?!"</p><p>"That was certainly its intention," the man agreed. "As much as something like that can be said to have an intention."</p><p>"So..." Yugi clenched his hands into the untucked hem of his shirt. The world still felt as if it were tilting too far to the left, leaving him off-balance and tingling with the aftermath of panic. Everything was a little gray around the edges. "That was..."</p><p>"Are you all right?" The stranger's sharp, kohl-rimmed eyes focused on him with a gaze that seemed to pierce Yugi straight to his soul.  Yet, there was something almost.... <em>kind</em> in that intense regard.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm... I will be. Um." Yugi couldn't look away. It felt like the world stilled around them, waiting with bated breath for... something. Voice barely a whisper, Yugi said, "...What happens now?"</p><p>"Now?" The stranger grinned. "Now, we <em>hunt</em>."</p><p><br/>
FINIS</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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